


True Romance

by VickyVicarious



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Valentine's Day Fluff, aka teenie, yes in late july shhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 08:29:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11574282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VickyVicarious/pseuds/VickyVicarious
Summary: Johnny is a different brand of bully in that he blows paper hearts instead of spitballs, specifically at Max.





	True Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Summary is the (slightly edited to fit the ficlet) note on tumblr that inspired this.
> 
> ...Adrian also made an ADORABLE VIDEO/ART THING CHECK IT: [technically spoilers but this fic is tiny anyway so meh](http://vickyvicarious.tumblr.com/post/163279210241/twothreepnats-someones-throwingsomethingat)

“Wow,” Max mutters in a monotone, staring down at the little paper hearts in his hand. “Stop, before I swoon.”

From the desk behind him, there’s a brief pause… then the assault increases. Risking a glance backwards reveals Johnny with a wild look in his eyes and  _two_ straws in his mouth, firing off the rolled-up bits of paper at a rapid pace. Max is forced to face front to avoid one hitting his eye, ducking his head as they plink off of him repeatedly, blooming on impact into tiny hearts that catch in his hoodie, fall on his lap, the brim of his hat…

He really, really wants to say something sarcastic, but it’s the middle of class and also his tongue feels really big and awkward in his mouth, his face hot. All he can do is sink low in his seat and suffer through this weirdly themed Valentine’s day bullying, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else. At some point, Johnny’s gotta run out of ammo, right? Right?

Absently, he gathers up the hearts that tumble to the desk in front of him, collecting them into his notebook. Oh geez this is a really stupid tactic, it rankles that it’s so effective. As soon as class is over he’s gonna run. Usually he’s past that point, but right now he is covered in little hearts and the one in his chest is kinda out of control.

He can’t stop thinking about how long Johnny must have spent prepping all of these. It doesn’t matter at all, it’s just a weird type of harassment from a weird type of bully, but Max can’t stop thinking about Johnny hunched over a heart-shaped holepuncher for  _hours_ probably, it’s messing with his head.

Johnny doesn’t run out until class is nearly over. When the bell rings, he leans back in his seat with this kind of triumphant, smirky look that for some reason it’s difficult to counter with the usual scorn. Instead, Max books it out of there before anyone can see his flushed cheeks, then spends the rest of the day finding little hearts on his person no matter how many times he tries to shake them off.

(Two weeks later he’s doing homework and opens up his notebook to find all the ones he inadvertently collected. He tips them into a jar on his desk and doesn’t answer PJ’s question of where they came from.)

**Author's Note:**

> pst just so you know Johnny discovers the jar later after they get together... and then this becomes a tradition. Every year Max is pelted/humiliated in the name of love (but never stops being charmed by it despite how much he WANTS TO).


End file.
